As those of you who follow Retail DJ on twitter or facebook know, I am in Brazil right now (see post below for more details). I’ve been in Sao Paulo for the past few days and will be here until Thursday then back again towards the end of this 2 and a half week stay in what I fondly refer to as “the B.” Though I have been super sick (my tonsils, which fluctuate from the size of marbles to golf balls on a daily basis), it’s freezing cold (yet I have no coat – weather.com lies, I tell you!), and I have been running around doing enough things to make a chicken with its head cut off look normal, I am having the time of my life.
I always say that returning to Brazil, and to be more specific, Sao Paulo, makes me feel more like I am going home than it does when I make my yearly trip to Memphis, TN, my home town. Maybe I was Brazilian in another life? Who knows? The one thing I DO know is that these past few days have truly been interesting, never lacking in adventure, and super exciting in terms of music. I have already had the opportunity to meet/hear several DJs as they played live at two amazing clubs here, one of which I frequent enough to secure free entry every time I go thanks to a host who never seems to forget my face: Vegas. But first, let’s go in order.
Friday: Neu: a club all the way in Barra Funda / Agua Branca that looks somewhat like a “sitio” you’d see somewhere in the interior of Sao Paulo or somewhere deep in Minas Gerais. For those of who don’t know what a sitio is, imagine a loft party, but instead of it being a loft, it’s a house that’s been converted into a club, complete with a bar, backyard, and open-air entry and exit. The area is residential, but the parties at Neu are far from calm. With DJs and live performers of every genre under the sun, this club is somewhat of a hidden gem in a city known for its superclubs.
While at Neu, I had the opportunity to finally meet Leonardo Justi, whom I interviewed and had as a featured artist a few months ago, and see him in action live. You can download his full set here:
Leo Justi – Live Set at Neu Club, Sao Paulo, 8.13.10
(click to play; right click + save as to download)
It’s a super fun mix of ghettotech, baile funk, dancehall, dubstep, and hip hop (aka it’s off the hook). Listen to it and you can live vicariously through my Friday for part of your 8 hours at work today. Also DJing that night was Dago Donato, who also happens to be the mastermind behind Neu and a fabulous DJ. His set also contained a lot of ghettotech and tech house and was the perfect lead-in to Leo’s because it was active, but subtle at the same time, easing us all into the next hour of more jumpy tunes.
Also on Friday:
Vegas: a club I went to every single weekend I came to Sao Paulo when I lived in Brazil. It’s a well-established locale known for its excellent DJ lineup and residents. It also is known for having a crowd that likes to dance. Every time I go out to Vegas (which usually ends somewhere around 7 or 8 am for me), I always thank my lucky stars that I can still walk afterward because I usually end up dancing until my feet no longer function. There, I saw live sets Fatu from Killer on the Dancefloor, RRR (Roots Rock Revolution), Database, Bruno Belluomini, Thiago Salvioni, Gnomex, and 13 Duo.
Overall, a solid lineup and many a dance-worthy set. Vegas was also my venue of choice on Saturday, but more on that later. It’s time for me to go to work (for job no. 2 of course, the patron saint of this Brazil trip). I hope that all my readers have a lovely Monday and that Leo’s set helps keep you awake on what everyone knows is my favorite day of the week. :- )
Beijinhos,
- Retail DJ
P.S. I am bonehead and left my camera at home, so all of the photos regarding my trip to Brazil will be c/o other sites 
Tags: 13 duo, dago donato, database, fatu, killer on the dancefloor, leonardo justi, neu, rrr, sao paulo, vegas, vegas club sp
